Fair deal... could argue he maybe should be at $650,000, but at the end of the day, what's $50,000. More and More, I'm completely on board with him being around in 2014, until Chris Herrmann is ready to be the backup catcher.

Fair deal... could argue he maybe should be at $650,000, but at the end of the day, what's $50,000. More and More, I'm completely on board with him being around in 2014, until Chris Herrmann is ready to be the backup catcher.

50,000 is what it would have cost to sign Lara in the rule 5 draft, which would you prefer on the team?One weakness i see is from the left side of the pen, Duensing (if he isnt starting) or Robertson .Seems a little weak to me

50,000 is what it would have cost to sign Lara in the rule 5 draft, which would you prefer on the team?One weakness i see is from the left side of the pen, Duensing (if he isnt starting) or Robertson .Seems a little weak to me

That horse has been beaten so hard, there's only remnants of hair left Johnny :-)

This would tell us they intend to carry 3 catchers again. How many teams do this?

Hey, if Doumit and Mauer are both in the lineup (one at DH and one a catcher), and the one catching gets hurt, we'd have to move the one DHing to catcher, forcing the pitcher hit to hit a whole 2, 3 times for one whole game before another catcher got recalled. Could be the difference between a playoff spot and missing the playoffs :-)

Fair deal... could argue he maybe should be at $650,000, but at the end of the day, what's $50,000. More and More, I'm completely on board with him being around in 2014, until Chris Herrmann is ready to be the backup catcher.

Hey, if Doumit and Mauer are both in the lineup (one at DH and one a catcher), and the one catching gets hurt, we'd have to move the one DHing to catcher, forcing the pitcher hit to hit a whole 2, 3 times for one whole game before another catcher got recalled. Could be the difference between a playoff spot and missing the playoffs :-)

This argument (by the Twins, not ThePuck's) is such complete garbage. We waste a roster spot guarding against such a remote possibility, which would only likely hurt us for half a game anyway.

This just popped into my head, though I can't imagine the Twins letting it make any difference with Butera. With the new schedule, AL pitchers are going to be hitting at "random" times throughout the year now, as opposed to only during little blocks of time when the interleague games were scheduled. So are they going to have their pitchers practicing their hitting a little more regularly throughout the season, such that they'd theoretically be a little more prepared if this situation actually managed to come about?

Fair deal... could argue he maybe should be at $650,000, but at the end of the day, what's $50,000. More and More, I'm completely on board with him being around in 2014, until Chris Herrmann is ready to be the backup catcher.

Who would Hermann be backing up in 2014? Mauer and Doumit?

Hermann ought to be ready to be a 3rd string catcher and sit on the bench all the time like Butera does.

Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports that the Red Sox and Mike Napoli have reached an agreement on a one-year, $5 million contract.

Financial details are provided by CBS Sports' Jon Heyman. The Red Sox originally signed Napoli to a three-year, $39 million contract earlier in the offseason, but talks hit a snag after an issue with one of his hips was reportedly found during a pre-signing physical. The injury is not expected to keep him from being ready for Opening Day, so it's surprising that Napoli wasn't able to do better in free agency. He'll now look to re-establish his value on a new, one-year deal. If healthy, Napoli should remain a decent fantasy option throughout 2013 as Boston's everyday first baseman.

[quote name='ericchri']This argument (by the Twins, not ThePuck's) is such complete garbage. We waste a roster spot guarding against such a remote possibility, which would only likely hurt us for half a game anyway.

Some people wear tin foil hats to protect against cosmic catastrophe which happens at about the same rate! You can buy a lot of tin foil hats for 700K.

If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.